Introduction

The role of VP on a presidential ticket is usually unimportant; ticket balancing and vote getting are the main selection criteria. Not since Harry Truman replaced Vice President Henry Wallace on the Democratic ticket in 1944 has a VP pick been so consequential. Truman was Vice President for only 82 days before he became President when Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12th, 1945. If the Democrats win in November, how long will it be before Senator Harris becomes the President? Knowing how close VP Candidate Karris is to being the President of the United States, was she chosen for the right reasons?That is the subject of today’s 10-minute episode. 

Thant is the subject of today’s 10-minute episode.

Continuing

If a major corporation is looking to hire a key Senior Vice President, the obvious heir apparent to the soon-to-retire President, this is not the hire where any success-seeking business would think about ethnicity or gender; the laser like focus would be on who is the best person to lead the company to maximum success for the next several years. Note that I said “best”, not simply “qualified.” If you are hiring droves of entry level workers for a rapidly growing business, then looking for merely qualified workers may be sufficient. You can let these hires sort themselves out over time, promoting those who stand out, keeping the ones who simply do their jobs, and getting rid of the ones who are substandard. When hiring for more senior positions, you are looking for the best candidate, not just someone who can hold down the position, doing a satisfactory job with few successes but no outrageous failures.

Let’s bring this issue closer to home. If you are looking to hire a contractor to do a complete remodel of your kitchen, are immutable traits like race and gender your first priorities? Of course not. You would focus on finding someone with the experience and references that would convince you this contractor would be the best one to rip apart your kitchen, and rebuild it in exactly the way that you want. And somewhat close to on time, and on budget. If this person was also, say, Irish or female, that might be a fun bonus, perhaps even a tie breaker, but not for a second would these types of characteristics be part of the selection criteria. Why would our reasoning be anything different when hiring the President of the United States? 

From those who support Harris’ selection, the praise is centered on her being Indo-Black and female. Are we nominating someone for a movie role, seeking an enthic and gender fit with the character? Are we indulging in an affirmative action hiring process while dealing with the most important job on the planet? Do we want some other form of social justice driving the selection of the most powerful person on earth? My take is even more troubling than that. Most voters want–demand–what is best for themselves, and everyone else can go fish. And if they can stick it to the other party at the same time, all the better. Some reverse this, with sticking it to the other guys as the priority, and getting what they want for themselves as second. And they don’t care who gives it to them. They will vote for whomever promises them more of what they want, and that is all the “experience and competence” they need to see before making their choice. 

Kamala Harris is not even close to being the best VP candidate in the Democratic Party; likely not even in the top half. And the Democrats themselves agreed with this assessment with their declining support for her in the Democratic presidential sweepstakes. Harris started strong, but when the debates began and people actually saw and heard what she had to say, her support all but disappeared. Biden cannot possibly be the best candidate for President the Dems have, and I remain firm in my position that Donald Trump is not the best man the Republicans have to offer. Mike Pence is likely the best of the bunch, and the...